Residents of Khayelistha are strengthening their relationships with law enforcement in what has been dubbed a turning point for a community struggling with violent crime, high levels of gender-based violence (GBV), alcohol and drug misuse, and other safety-related issues.
Community policing organisations in the Cape Town municipality requested increased support from the provincial and federal governments in a crime Imbizo with Police Minister Bheki Cele.
Cassel Mathale, the deputy minister of police, and the administration of the SAPS, including General Fannie Masemola, the national commissioner, were present.
Residents are engaged on safety and security concerns by non-profit organisations (NGOs) council members, traditional and religious fraternity representatives, safety specialists, and stakeholders from the Western Cape province.
Regan Allen, the province’s MEC for Community Safety, as well as representatives from the department and the provincial government, were also present.
According to Lirandzu Themba, a spokesperson for the police ministry, the goal of the interaction with the community was to revitalise community policing by strengthening the local CPF, neighbourhood watch, community patrollers, and other interested parties.
According to her, “[it] also provided as a platform for the provincial and federal governments to inform the public of the work being done to meet their safety requirements.”
In response to requests from the Khayelistha community to enhance local policing, Minister Cele disclosed that the province’s SAPS is reallocating resources to combat crime.
“We are shifting resources in this province from where they are least required to where they are most needed.
Due to this, 80 cops have now been transferred from more affluent neighbourhoods where crime is low or perhaps nonexistent to high priority stations like Khayelitsha.
We think that this change will significantly help with both proactive and reactive policing.
The Minister emphasised the urgent need to ramp up the assistance of neighbourhood watches, CPFs, and community patrollers.
Why these foot soldiers have to spend their own airtime and resources to battle criminality is inexplicable.
It just cannot be accepted as the norm, which is why I have requested that the National Commissioner look into supporting these organisations to enable them to do their jobs well.
MEC Allen is determined to giving the community policing structures the resources they urgently need in the interim.
Without the neighbourhood watches, community patrollers, and other community structures that actively participate in securing their communities with what little they have, we won’t be able to make this province safer.
As a local government, we pledge to step up our support by offering extra reflective jackets and boots used during patrols.
We think this would significantly improve the day-to-day operations of these community structures.
General Masemola gave the neighbourhood an update on the plans to erect a second police station to accommodate the expanding neighbourhood.
The station’s construction will start in November.
The management of the SAPS and other interested parties are now debating whether to provide stipends for community policing formations around the nation.